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Palmer's saxifrage

alpine saxifrage, Tolmie's alpine saxifrage, Tolmie's saxifrage

Habit Plants solitary or in clumps, with bulbils on caudices. Plants mat-forming, (stems trailing, thin, basally slightly woody), with slender, woody caudices.
Leaves

basal;

petiole flattened, 1–9 cm;

blade ovate to elliptic, 2–8 cm, slightly fleshy, base attenuate, margins entire or subentire, ciliate, surfaces tangled, reddish brown-hairy.

cauline, proximally crowded;

petiole absent;

blade elliptic-obovate, 0.8–1.5 cm, fleshy, base cuneate, margins entire, sometimes proximally sparsely long-ciliate, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

30+-flowered, (flowers sometimes almost secund), very open, lax thyrses, 6–50 cm, hairy proximally, densely so distally.

2–10-flowered, lax cymes, sometimes solitary flowers, 3–12 cm, glabrous or purplish- or pink-tipped stipitate-glandular; (bracts 1–3, proximal).

Flowers

sepals erect to ascending, ovate to triangular;

petals white, not spotted, broadly oblong to elliptic, not clawed, 3–6 mm, 2+ times as long as sepals;

filaments linear, flattened;

pistils distinct almost to base;

ovary ± superior, (to 1/3 adnate to hypanthium).

sepals erect to spreading, ovate;

petals white, not spotted, linear to oblanceolate, 2.5–5 mm, longer than sepals, short- or not clawed;

filaments broadly club-shaped (± petaloid);

pistils connate to 1/2 their lengths;

ovary ± superior (to 1/4 adnate to hypanthium).

Capsules

green with reddish or purplish tinge, or reddish purple, folliclelike.

green, purple mottled, valvate.

2n

= 30.

Micranthes palmeri

Micranthes tolmiei

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering summer.
Habitat Rocky, open woodlands Arctic and alpine tundra, fell-fields
Elevation 100-1000 m (300-3300 ft) 500-4000 m (1600-13100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; OK
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Unlike those of most Micranthes species, the leaves of M. tolmiei are proximally cauline and the ovules have two integuments. The seeds have a loose, winglike testa.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 61. FNA vol. 8, p. 54.
Parent taxa Saxifragaceae > Micranthes Saxifragaceae > Micranthes
Sibling taxa
M. apetala, M. aprica, M. bryophora, M. californica, M. calycina, M. careyana, M. caroliniana, M. eriophora, M. ferruginea, M. foliolosa, M. fragosa, M. gaspensis, M. gormanii, M. hieraciifolia, M. hitchcockiana, M. howellii, M. idahoensis, M. integrifolia, M. lyallii, M. marshallii, M. micranthidifolia, M. nelsoniana, M. nidifica, M. nivalis, M. nudicaulis, M. occidentalis, M. odontoloma, M. oregana, M. pensylvanica, M. petiolaris, M. razshivinii, M. reflexa, M. rhomboidea, M. rufidula, M. spicata, M. stellaris, M. subapetala, M. tempestiva, M. tenuis, M. texana, M. tischii, M. tolmiei, M. unalaschcensis, M. virginiensis
M. apetala, M. aprica, M. bryophora, M. californica, M. calycina, M. careyana, M. caroliniana, M. eriophora, M. ferruginea, M. foliolosa, M. fragosa, M. gaspensis, M. gormanii, M. hieraciifolia, M. hitchcockiana, M. howellii, M. idahoensis, M. integrifolia, M. lyallii, M. marshallii, M. micranthidifolia, M. nelsoniana, M. nidifica, M. nivalis, M. nudicaulis, M. occidentalis, M. odontoloma, M. oregana, M. palmeri, M. pensylvanica, M. petiolaris, M. razshivinii, M. reflexa, M. rhomboidea, M. rufidula, M. spicata, M. stellaris, M. subapetala, M. tempestiva, M. tenuis, M. texana, M. tischii, M. unalaschcensis, M. virginiensis
Synonyms Saxifraga palmeri, Saxifraga virginiensis var. subintegra Saxifraga tolmiei, Saxifraga tolmiei var. ledifolia
Name authority Bush: Amer. Midl. Naturalist 11: 221. 1928 , (Torrey & A. Gray) Brouillet & Gornall: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1022. 2007 ,
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